Blue Badges

Eligibility Criteria

Automatic Entitlement

You will automatically be entitled to a Badge if:

You are in receipt of the higher rate of the Mobility Component’ of the Disability Living Allowance, Mobility Allowance or from April 2013 the Enhanced Mobility Component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which the Government is phasing in for working age applicants to replace the Higher Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance (HRMCDLA).

You are in receipt of War Pensioners Mobility Supplement.

You are in receipt of Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme (tariffs 1-8 inclusive) and SPVA letter confirming permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty walking.

You are registered as a blind person under the National Assistance Act 1948.

You are in receipt of a wheelchair from the IW Health Care Trust Wheelchair Service.

Discretionary Criteria

You may be entitled to a Badge if you do not qualify under the above criteria if:

You have a permanent and substantial disability, which causes inability to walk, or very considerable difficulty in walking.

You drive a vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms and are unable to operate or have considerable difficulty in operating parking meters.

You are a child under 3 with a condition requiring transportation of bulky medical equipment at all times and you must be kept near a vehicle for treatment of your condition or taken quickly in the vehicle to a place where you can be treated.

The Department for Transport has stated that the issue of badges must be confined to those who are able to walk only with excessive labour and at an extremely slow pace or with pain. Applicants should generally be physically incapable of visiting shops, public buildings etc unless allowed to park close to their destination. Inability to walk or severe difficulty in walking must be permanent and not just intermittent or temporary and must be of a physical rather than psychological nature. Consideration of difficulty in carrying parcels or shopping cannot be taken into account where no walking difficulty exists.

Apply for a Blue Badge

If you are unable to apply online an application form can be printed by clicking here (PDF, 326.42KB, 16 pages) or alternatively, visit the 'Do it Online' tab to request an application.

Please Note from April 2013:

NEW applicants of working age with severe mobility problems are advised to apply to the DWP for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Automatic entitlement to a Blue Badge will be granted if the Enhanced Mobility Component of PIP is awarded.

EXISTING blue badge applicants of working age who are currently in receipt of High Rate Mobility Component of DLA (HRMCDLA) will be contacted by the Dept for Work and Pensions in due course regarding a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) application, but your existing Blue Badge remains valid until its expiry date.

If you would like clarification about entitlement, please contact the Blue Badge Team by e-mail using the Send a Message tab, or alternatively use the Contact Information Tab for telephone and address details.

The government has also provided a useful link to enable you to find out more about the changes on line www.dwp.gov.uk/pip (website).